


The Painter and The Knight

by PanicAtTheMonastery



Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, mlm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PanicAtTheMonastery/pseuds/PanicAtTheMonastery
Summary: As Ignatz struggles to come to terms with his future, Ashe enters into his life. The unlikely pair become closer than either would have ever imagined. One is fueled by creativity, the fueled by ambition. Both, equally fueled by each other.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ignatz Victor
Kudos: 20





	1. The Hobbyists

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter only has Ignatz and Ashe in it. Very soon, more characters will be incorporated. I will also be sure to let you know of any spoilers, but this current chapter is spoiler free! Enjoy!

Ignatz glided the brush across the canvas, hardly looking at the medium, but rather staring straight ahead at the forest scenery. It was the weekend, and the professor had decided to let today be a rest day, especially after the many hard won battles of the weekend prior. Usually, Ignatz would confine himself to studying, but he felt his creative drive surge, and so took a short walk just outside of the monastery, to the surrounding forest.

Not only was the landscape remarkably beautiful, perfect for painting, but it was rare that anyone left the monastery on this route. While he would occasionally see guards or townspeople walk to and fro, they were often many hundreds of feet away, and did not bother him. Which, is not to say that he disliked company, but simply he didn’t enjoy the pressure of others knowing about his hobby. 

His fathers words rang in his ears as he even thought about the others knowing. He was here to be a knight, not an artist. Such frivolities were for nobles, and he didn’t have the luxury to be painting in his free time. Even still, he couldn’t resist his urges sometimes. And, he figured, once a month, or even once every couple months couldn’t hurt. He’s been on top of his studies, and training, and—

“Ignatz?” A voice called behind him. “Is that you? I didn’t know you ever came out this way!”

Ignatz turned sharply to see Ashe walking towards him, with a smile on his face.

“Oh! Uh— I was just, um, what are you doing here, Ashe?”

Ashe eyed the colorful canvas behind Ignatz. “Wow, you paint? Who knew!”

“It’s nothing, really.” Ignatz said, dejected. He turned and began taking apart the easel. “In fact, I should actually be going. To train— and study!”

“Well, now wait a minute. That’s beautiful.” Ashe pointed at the canvas. “I mean, really really good. I had no idea you were so talented.”

“Talented?” Ignatz questioned quietly. “No, I thank you for your kindness but I really must be going.”

Ashe wasn’t sure what to make of him. “Please, don’t let me be a bother— I just wanted to say hello. No need to break everything down just because I’m here.”

“No, no, that’s not it. I... I just shouldn’t be wasting my time.”

Ashe raised his eyebrows at that. “Wasting time? You’re making beautiful artwork— that’s hardly a waste of time.”

“I should be training. This is just... a hobby.”

Ashe smiled. “Hobbies aren’t bad! I read as a hobby— We all need outlets, don’t you think?”

Ignatz still looked unsure about that. “I suppose. But, please, don’t let me distract you from your day.”

“Heh, I was actually trying to find a nice space to read.” Ashe said, looking around. “I come around here a lot— say, would you mind if I took a seat and read for a bit? If I would bother you, please let me know, and I can find somewhere else to go, with ease.”

Ignatz hesitated. He had never spent much time with Ashe, outside of a few training lessons. They both were skilled archers, and so they would often practice together, but they rarely spent any time outside of combat.

“Uh, no, please, have a seat. It might be... nice, to have company.”

Ashe beamed at this. “Swell! Then I’ll have a seat just ahead of your painting, so I don’t get any more peeks!” Ashe went and did just that, sitting just a few inches ahead of the easel, facing the row of trees before them. He then pulled out a book from his messenger bag and began reading.

Ignatz stood still for a few moments, dumbfounded as to how he should be. Finally, he put the easel back in its place, and secured the joints, steadying his canvas. He began painting, though he was occasionally distracted by the silver haired boy just near him, silently reading away.

“What are you reading?” Ignatz asked, after nearly half an hour had passed. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Of course I don’t. And, it’s a book called The Crimson Canyon, it’s about a valiant knight fighting in a fictionalized version of the red canyon.”

“Oh, that sounds very interesting. Do you always read about knights?”

“Not always, but often.” Ashe turned to look at Ignatz, a smile on his face as usual. “These kinds of books are the reason I’m here— The reason I want to be a knight so badly.”

Ignatz nodded his head, but his eyes were distant. 

“I know that being a knight isn’t all it’s chalked up to be in the stories— It’s hard work, and sacrifice.” Ashe turned back to the forest. “But I still want it. After all, I still have a little brother and sister to support. And to fight for my people... well, there would be no greater honor.”

Ignatz couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart as Ashe spoke. Ashe was exactly the kind of person that Ignatz’s father wished he could be. Someone who desperately wanted to be a knight. Someone who didn’t spend so much time wasting their efforts on artwork.

“I see. That... makes sense.” Ignatz said, staring at his painting, disdain quickly creeping into his thoughts.

“And you!” Ashe said, turning back to him again. “What about you— why do you want to be a knight? Aren’t your parents merchants?”

“Oh, I...” Ignatz hesitated. “I’m the second born. My father wants me to become a knight, so I can provide for myself. At least, so he says.”

Ashe furrowed his brow. “I see. So then, do you not want to be here?”

Ignatz seemed offended by this. “No, it’s not that, it’s just... I want to be here. I just also want... It doesn’t matter.”

Ashe stared up at him, concerned. “I hope I didn’t upset you, Ignatz.”

“No, it’s fine. You did nothing wrong, I just... I think I’m done painting for the day.”

“Are you sure? If I’m bothering you please let me be the one to leave.”

“No, no, it’s...” Ignatz stared at his painting, and then at the ground. “Will you train with me, Ashe?”

This was unexpected. Ashe raised his eyebrows, and set his book down. “Oh, of course, I’d love to! Right now?”

“If you don’t mind. Or, we could meet at the training grounds in half an hour, if that’s better.”

Ashe stood up, placing his book into his bag, and slinging it over his shoulder. “If we can stop by my dorm, I’d be happy to walk there with you.”

Ignatz smiled at that, and nodded his head. “Thank you. Let me just get my things packed, and we can head out.”

Ashe nodded and waited as Ignatz packed away his things. 

“Oh, and thank you, Ashe,” Ignatz said as he kneeled down to fit everything into his bag. “for sitting with me. It was... well, it was nice.”

“Of course, Ignatz. You’re a pleasure to be around.”

For some reason, this made Ignatz freeze, and he could feel his cheeks begin to glow with blush.

“Y-you too, Ashe.”

“Now come on, let’s head out.” Ashe extended a hand, which Ignatz graciously grabbed, and helped him up. Then, the two began walking towards Garreg Mach, as the sun began to sink under the tree line.

~

“Whew... are you... Do you want to keep going?” Ignatz said, his voice breathy. He was drenched in sweat from their training, where they fought against each other with training swords.

Ashe raised a brow at him and smiled. “I think I’m just about beat, actually. You put up a good fight!”

Ignatz sat down on the outskirts of the small arena and slowly shook his head as he caught his breath. “No, no... You, you bested me almost every match.”

“Almost, but by the end there you were really giving me a run for my money!” Ashe took a seat next to him, and began taking some of his armor off. First his gloves and bracers, and then his helmet.

Ignatz glanced over at him, and was amazed that even now, Ashe’s hair looked incredible. It was ruffled, and damp with sweat, but somehow it suited him. After he was finished admiring his hair, he looked down, and was immediately overwhelmed by Ashe’s eyes, which stared directly into his own. He couldn’t help but recoil a bit, darting his eyes away, and moving his head back.

Ashe laughed. “What are you starting at?”

“N-nothing, I just... Your eyes are quite striking, is all.” 

Ashe watched as pink painted across Ignatz’s cheeks, and he laughed softly. “I suppose so, though I wouldn’t call them that.”

Ignatz glanced back at him. Ashe’s eyes were a bright, pale green, and they seemed all too large to be real. There was a kindness to them, but with that there was also an alluring nature. Ignatz only let himself look for a few seconds, then turned away before he could be accused of staring.

“You know, your eyes are quite nice too, Ignatz.”

Ignatz didn’t believe him. His eyes were plain, and brown. To Ignatz, they were truly nothing of note.

“I mean it,” Ashe continued. “I think brown eyes are criminally underrated. And yours are so... Well, I suppose nice is the best word to use. They’re a joy to look at!”

Ignatz looked away and nervously pushed his glasses inward, only to have them blocked by the leather headpiece still on. He reached around and undid the back strap, then lifted the piece off of his head. As soon as he removed it, he realized the mistake he’d made.

His hair stood in various directions, with most of it matted downward and soaked with sweat. 

“Oh, goddess, my hair must look a mess.” He raced his hands up to try to smooth it out, but without a mirror he was mostly unsuccessful.

Ashe lifted his hands to Ignatz’s and gently moved them down. “Here, let me help.” He then combed his fingers through the thick blonde hair, parting it like normal, and finishing by tucking the last strands behind his ears.

Ignatz could feel a shiver go down his spine as Ashe’s fingers raked just over his scalp. It felt so... nice. That would be the best word to use.

Finally, and unfortunately for Ignatz, Ashe pulled his hands away. “There, perfect.”

“Sorry about my hair. It probably didn’t feel pleasant to touch, it’s all greasy and—“

“Nonsense! If anything, it was a pleasure. I never realized how thick your hair was!”

Ignatz smiled. It was a trait he had gotten from his mother. “Thank you. If only I could make it look a little better in general.

Ashe gave a concerned look. “What do you mean? I think you look lovely.”

“Well, I don’t know. Hilda says that I’d be better off shaving it all off.”

Ashe scoffed. “Okay, well, Hilda has pig tails. Do you want pig tails?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then you shouldn’t be taking her advice. It’s your hair, you can do whatever you want with it. Besides, I really do think you look nice. It suits you.”

Before Ignatz could respond to that, Ashe began to stand up. He then extended a hand to the young blonde boy. “Come on, we should get going. It’ll be dinner soon. If we get showered and dressed fast enough, we might make it before Raphael and Caspar eat it all!” 

Ignatz smiled and took hold of Ashe’s hand. The two then placed their swords in their rightful spots, and headed off to their respective dorms. 

They reached Ashe’s first, and as he entered, he turned to face Ignatz. 

“So, I’ll probably be ready in twenty minutes. Can I meet you in the dining hall? That is— if you want to, you certainly don’t have to!”

Ignatz smiled. Besides Raphael, he never really sat with anyone else. “No, that sounds lovely. It shouldn’t take me much longer than that. I’ll, uh, see you there!”

Ashe beamed. “Perfect. I’ll look forward to it!” 

Ignatz nodded and began his trek to his own dorm. He could hear Ashe’s door close behind him, and for some reason it made him feel absolutely giddy, as though he were in a race. 

_I’ll look forward to it, too. _He thought, as he practically danced to his room, his thoughts filled with excitement and anticipation.__


	2. Dinner and Other Festivities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe and Ignatz go to dinner with Sylvain and Ingrid. Afterwards, the two decide to spend some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy :) New Chapter next week. If you have any thoughts or suggestions let me know!

Ignatz sat patiently at one of the tables closest to the doors, waiting for Ashe to arrive. It had been twenty-two minutes, and he’d arrived four minutes earlier— not that he’d been counting. As he sat, quietly watching the door, he compulsively ran his fingers through his hair, now clean and fresh from his shower.

Pleasant smells lingered all around him, though it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what they were. Savory, and salty— those aromas made up most of it, but there was something sweet, too, that Ignatz couldn’t put his finger on. He looked around, trying to spy on other students’ plates, when he saw Raphael headed in his direction.

“Ignatz, hey!” Raphael boomed. “Good to see ya, bud! You ready to chow down?”

“Oh, Raphael, actually—“

“You know they’re serving Duscur Bear tonight! Man, I can’t wait to dig into some fresh meat. Let’s go!”

Ignatz stood, but didn’t move past that. “I’m sorry, Raphael. I’m actually waiting for someone. You go ahead and get in line without me, before the food gets cold.”

Raphael furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side. “Waiting for someone? Who?”

Ignatz hesitated, though he wasn’t sure why. “Uh, Ashe. I’m waiting for Ashe.”

“Ashe? From Blue Lions? I didn’t know you guys hung out.”

“We trained together, earlier. He should be here any minute now.” Ignatz turned to the doors, feeling a bit deflated when no one walked through them.

“Well, great! It’s always good to have some new company!” Raphael smiled and placed his hands on his hips.

“Oh, uh, right. I’m not sure who he will want to sit with, actually.” Ignatz said, bowing his head sheepishly.

“Well I don’t mind sitting with some of the Blue Lions, they seem real friendly!”

“Right, yes, of course. I just...” Ignatz wasn’t sure what he should say. He loved Raphael, but he just didn’t know if Ashe would want to sit with him or not. “We might want to sit alone, I think.”

Raphael paused for a moment. “Oh. Uh, okay then. I’ll just... sit with Caspar, or something.”

Ignatz immediately felt horrible. “I’m sorry, Raphael, I just don’t know what—“

“No, come on, I totally get it!” Raphael said. “It’s alright, Ignatz. I’ll see you in the library later, okay?”

“Absolutely, of course.” Truthfully, Ignatz had forgotten about their plans to study together. Still, Raphael turned and headed to the front of the room, where food was being served hot.

Ignatz sat back down and began impatiently tapping his fingers on the table. A few students walked in and out, until finally he saw the silver haired boy appear in the doorframe. Just behind him was a blonde girl, with long hair and straight across bangs. Ignatz recognized her.

Ashe beamed at Ignatz as he walked up. “Hey, Ignatz. Sorry I’m a bit behind, I bumped into Ingrid and told her about our training.“

Ingrid smiled and bowed a bit. “Ashe tells me you’re quite the swordsman!”

Ignatz shook his head. “No, really I’m quite rusty. Ashe knows far more than I do, I just got lucky.”

Ingrid smiled and then lifted her nose in the air. “It smells wonderful in here. Come on, let’s get a plate before it’s gone.”

Ingrid lead the charge, with Ashe and Ignatz following closely behind. 

“Ingrid is training to be a Falcon Knight, you know.” Ashe said as they found a position in line. “She’s incredibly skilled.”

“A Falcon Knight? Already?”

Ashe and Ingrid met that question with furrowed brows. 

“What do you mean?” Ashe asked.

“I mean, we’ve only been here... well, I guess two months now. To already be training to be a Falcon Knight seems very impressive.”

“Well, I’m still a long ways off. But it’s good to start training early.” Ingrid said, grabbing an empty plate from the front of the line. “Of course, this begs the question— What are you planning for, Ignatz?”

“Well... currently, I’m practicing archery, to become an archer. I... don’t really know past that.”

Ingrid opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted by the woman behind the counter, who was reaching to give her some food.

“You should consider talking to Professor Byleth, if you ever get a chance.” Ashe said while Ingrid was distracted. “She’s a great judge of skills, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping you.”

Ignatz nodded. “I’ll have to do that.”

The rest of their time in the line was mostly filled with idle chatter, as the woman behind the counter filled their plates with various foods. The three of them, once done grabbing their food, headed to Ingrid and Ashe’s usual spot, which was near the center of the room. There, Sylvain sat with his elbows on the table and his fingers laced together over a plate of half eaten foods.

He cocked an eyebrow as the three approached, curiously eyeing Ignatz up and down. 

“Ignatz, right?” Sylvain said.

“Yes! And you’re Sylvain, right?”

“I see my reputation precedes me!” He said, smiling and placing his hands behind his head. Ashe and Ignatz took a seat across from him, while Ingrid sat directly to his right. “So, not to sound rude, but why are you sitting with us today?”

Ashe piped up. “We trained together earlier, and I asked him to have dinner with us.”

“Training together, eh?” Sylvain slouched over the table. “Interesting.”

Before Ignatz could react to that, Ingrid was already giving Sylvain a death glare. Ignatz couldn’t believe that someone so pretty could look so menacing, and yet it happened right before his eyes.

Ashe eyed the two of them and continued. “... as I was saying, Ignatz puts up a good fight! It was a ton of fun, I think he could even give Felix a run for his money after some training.”

“Is that so?” A voice rang out behind Ignatz, sending a chill down his spine. He turned sharply to see Felix standing just behind him. Felix looked down at Ignatz, his eyes piercing into him. “Perhaps we should spar some time.”

Ignatz wasn’t sure how to react to that. He’d heard about Felix— that he was one of, if not the best swordsman out of all of the students at the monastery. 

“Oh, uh, m-maybe—“

“You’re supposed to be maintaining weapons with me.” Felix had already moved on to staring down Sylvain. “Unlike you, I don’t appreciate wasting time. Be there in ten minutes.”

Felix began walking away, not bothering to hesitate for a response. Sylvain sighed and sat back, his palms pressed into the side of the table. 

“Well...” he said, “I guess that’s my cue. Sorry I couldn’t stick around longer, maybe you’ll join us again sometime.” 

“I would love to!” Ignatz said with a smile. Sylvain then winked at him, and turned away to follow after Felix.

“Sorry about him, he’s unfortunately always like that.” Ingrid said. She then went on to talk about their childhood together, which brought Raphael into Ignatz’s mind. 

When he felt he had a chance, without it seeming rude, Ignatz looked around the dining hall, searching for his friend. He was easy to spot, what with being a friendly giant. In the northeastern corner of the room, Raphael sat directly across from Caspar, who was flailing his limbs about wildly, telling some kind of story. Raphael laughed along, with a fork crammed with food in his hand. Linhardt was with them, though far less energetic. Rather, he was sat sideways on the bench, his legs lazily crossed, propping himself up on the table and lazily thumbing through a book, but occasionally looking up at Caspar.

Ingrid’s tales eventually shifted to tales of knighthood, and adventure. This was truly a sight to see, as both Ashe and Ingrid clearly cared deeply about the topic. So much so, that Ignatz found himself unable to keep track of the multitude of characters pouring out of their mouths. His mind began to wander, as did his eyes, until he found himself staring at Ashe.

Freckles lined his cheeks, which seemed to always hold a little bit of color in them. His jawline was soft, but still defined. His eyes... Well, they were just spectacular. And the way that his hair fell over his face, always ruffled but never completely disheveled. 

He flashed back to when Ashe had run his fingers through his hair, and how nice it had felt. Now, Ignatz just wanted to run his own hands through Ashe’s hair. He imagined how nice that would be, and then before his thoughts could drift any further, some part of him was ripped back into reality. 

Why would that be nice? He’d never thought about running his hands through Raphael’s hair. Even thinking about it, it didn’t have the same feeling to it. It would just be... weird. But, with Ashe, that wasn’t so. Why?

Before he could think more on it, Ashe turned to look at him, and he straightened his back and focused in response.

“Sorry to bore you, Ignatz! Ingrid and I can go on quite the tangent.”

Ingrid nodded. “Yes, I really didn’t mean for us to talk so long, or to be so rude. You have my apologies.”

“Oh, it’s alright, I enjoyed listening. It was nice!”

Ingrid smiled. “Well, I’m just about done eating, and I really do need to get some studying done. The battle last week really took it out of me, and I’ve got some catching up to do.” She stood up, plate in hand. “I hope that you’ll sit with us again, Ignatz. I promise next time we will be more inclusive. It was great meeting you!”

“You too! And I’ll definitely try to sit with you all again, if you’ll have me.”

Ingrid smiled as she bowed her head a bit, and left, leaving Ashe and Ignatz alone at the table.

“You know, I noticed they were serving Peach Sorbet as a dessert today.” Ashe said, looking at Ignatz. “I’m pretty full from the main course, but if you’d like, I’d love to share a serving with you.”

Ignatz didn’t hesitate. “Sure! Yeah, I’d love that.”

Ashe beamed. “Perfect! I’ll go get us some— and, if you want, we could even take it somewhere outside! I’ll just have to make sure to bring the dish back.”

Outside? Ignatz had never thought to eat outside of the dining hall. “Sure, that sounds exciting!”

Ashe quickly grabbed his and Ignatz’s plates, taking them up to the bin where they belonged, and came back with a bowl of a beautifully pink peach sorbet.

“Shall we?” Ashe said.

Ignatz stood and nodded his head, then motioned for Ashe to take the lead. The two then promptly left the dining hall, with Ignatz following Ashe, until they reached the bridge between the church and the school. 

By now, the sky was mostly dark, with a few rays of the sun still lingering on the horizon. The stars in the east had come out to play, and the moon hung low in the east, hiding most of itself from sight.

“It’s a beautiful night.” Ignatz said as they reached their destination. Ashe sat down with his back against the western wall of the bridge, and Ignatz followed suit.

“Perfect for sharing desserts with friends.” Ashe said, taking one of the spoons and digging into the sorbet. He then handed Ignatz the other spoon, and as Ignatz grabbed a spoonful, Ashe held his up and said, “Cheers!” They tapped their spoons together, and then at the same time took a bite.

Ignatz had never sat on the bridge, much less at night, and much less with anyone else, but there was something so comforting about it. There was hardly anyone around— He could see two guards positioned at the front of the church, and every now and then someone would walk across the bridge, but for the most part they were completely alone.

“You know, I had a really grand time with you today.” Ashe said. 

Ignatz smiled. “I feel the same way. Training was fun, and having someone around when I painted was... nice.”

“Perhaps we’ll have to do it all again sometime.”

Ignatz looked at Ashe. “I’d like that.”

Ashe looked right back at Ignatz, as though he were deep in thought. This made Ignatz instinctively move his hand to wipe his face, thinking perhaps that’s why Ashe was staring.

Ashe smiles and furrowed his brow. “What are you doing?”

Ignatz realized he looked a bit strange. “Oh, I thought maybe I had something on my face. Sorry, I just noticed you staring and...”

Ashe laughed, reaching for another spoonful of sorbet. “You’re cute.”

Ignatz could feel his muscles tense and his cheeks burn hot after that. What did Ashe mean by cute? And why did Ignatz like it so much? He wasn’t sure how he should respond, or if he should respond at all. Instead, he looked dumbfounded and froze for a few moments, hundreds of thoughts circling in his head.

Ashe took a bite of the sorbet, and after a few moments, looked up at Ignatz, who was still wide eyed and bright red. He gave a concerned look, unclear as to what had struck Ignatz so strongly.

Finally, Ignatz spoke. “You’re cute, too.” He could feel his heart racing. He’d never called anyone cute, not this way, and he had especially never called a boy cute. But, Ashe was cute. Especially when he smiled, and blushed, after receiving the compliment back.

“Let’s have another day like today soon.” Ashe said. “I like being around you.”

Ignatz was mesmerized. His heart was still beating quickly, and his mind was swirling with thoughts. “I would love that. I completely agree.”

Ashe looked down at the bowl of sorbet and chuckled. “We’re already almost out. Ah, I think I ate most of it. You should have the rest.”

Ignatz managed to snap out of it. “No, no, you have it. Consider it a thank you for today.”

Ashe shook his head, but stayed smiling, as he scooped up the last spoonful. 

“It’s funny,” he said after taking a bite. “that we’ve never hung out before, considering our rooms are so close.”

It was true, they were actually next door neighbors. Ignatz had seen Ashe nearly every day, but had never thought to stop and say hello. 

“Speaking of...” Ashe said, looking up at the sky. “I should probably let you go, soon. Wouldn’t want to keep you from anything.”

Ignatz shook his head. “Oh, I don’t have anything going on. Of course— if you need to do something—“

“I’m free! Maybe we could walk around the monastery a bit.”

Ignatz smiled. “I would love that, it sounds fun.”

The two boys stood up, one after the other, and dusted themselves off. Then, Ignatz grabbed the glass bowl, and they began walking back towards where they came from, to wander around the monastery.

They did this for a few hours, until the moon was high in the sky. They’d managed to stop by the fishing pond, and Ashe had convinced Ignatz to take his boots off and soak his feet in the water. It was intimate, and cozy in all the right ways, and the water was cold and sent chills up their spines.

Ultimately, Ashe brought their night to an end, and when he realized just how late it was, he asked to walk Ignatz to his room. When they arrived, Ignatz ducked in to check his clock, and it was 11:24 p.m.

“Gosh, it really is late, isn’t it?” He said, leaning against his door.

Ashe shrugged and apologized. “I shouldn’t have kept you out so late. Next time we’ll keep a more watchful eye on the time!”

Ignatz smiled at the idea of a next time. “That sounds like a good plan.”

They both stood there, smiling at each other for a minute. The crickets sang in the background as they just stared at each other, something that Ignatz was growing more and more used to. 

“I guess I should go.” Ashe said, finally breaking the silence. 

Ignatz sighed, though he really didn’t mean to. “I suppose you should.”

Still, Ashe stood in front of him, almost nervously. Ignatz noticed that he kept looking at his hair, which of course then made Ignatz reach up and try to fix whatever Ashe was looking at.

Ashe smiled again. “You always think something’s wrong.”

“Well, usually, something is wrong.” Ignatz retorted, while ruffling his hair up.

Ashe laughed. “Well, now you’ve gone and actually messed it up. Here,” Ashe reached his hand to Ignatz’s head. “let me fix it.”

Just as before, Ashe ran his fingers through Ignatz’s hair, just above his scalp, and then flattened the hair down, finishing with tucking some of his hair behind his ear. Only, this time, Ashe did not remove his hand, but rather moved it further behind Ignatz’s head, almost cradling it. Ignatz could feel his heart race again. Having Ashe so close, being able to stare intently at him, and feeling his hands over his scalp... it was intoxicating.

Before he could process it, Ashe moved in closer to Ignatz, to where their lips almost touched, but stopped just short of that. He ducked back, just a bit, and looked at Ignatz, whose eyes were wide and cheeks were red.

“Can I?” Ashe asked in a low whisper.

All Ignatz could do was nod. There was absolutely no way that he would be able to produce words in this state. 

Then, as quickly as before, Ashe leaned in and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft, even in the unseasonably chill air, and Ignatz felt as though he were melting under them. He froze, just for a moment, before fully giving into the kiss. He had no idea what to do with his hands, but eventually settled on gently placing them on Ashe’s arms. 

The kiss itself likely lasted for less than ten seconds, but Ignatz swore he could spend a lifetime reliving it. When Ashe finally pulled away, their eyes met again, and they both smiled.

“I’m sorry if that was too soon, I just—“

Ignatz stopped him. “No, nope, no it was... that was... it was nice. Thank you. Thank you?”

Ashe laughed. “I don’t know that you’re supposed to thank someone for kissing you.”

“Sorry, I guess I don’t know proper protocol.”

Ashe shook his head and looked at Ignatz. “You’re cute. But, I really should let you go this time.”

“Right, it is late. Uh, I’ll... see you soon?”

Ashe began walking to his room. He walked backwards, to still see Ignatz, and nodded. “I’ll plan on it!”

Ashe quickly disappeared behind his door, but Ignatz stayed outside for just a few moments, trying to take it all in. Once he felt he had a grip, he turned and entered his own room, where he flopped onto his bed and stared up at his ceiling, processing the events of the day. Eventually, he changed into his pajamas, and wrapped himself in his covers. And slowly, but surely, he fell asleep, his head swimming with thoughts of a green eyed, silver haired, soft lipped boy.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, and any ideas you have for what should come next! I hope you enjoyed :) I plan to have a new chapter out within a week. I’d like to publish one every Wednesday.


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